Beam-Based Relay Switching via Multicast Neighbor Discovery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing relay node switch processes in wireless communication systems, such as 5G NR, lead to high power consumption and increased latency due to individual neighbor discovery and activation by user equipment (UE), impacting battery life and communication performance.
Innovation Solution
The relay node assists the UE in performing a beam-based relay switch by multicasting signals across multiple beams to discover and activate neighbor nodes, reducing the need for per-neighbor discovery and activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user equipment performs individual neighbor discovery and activation, then relay node switching can be achieved, but power consumption increases and latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The source relay node acts as an intermediary by multicasting discovery signals to activate neighbor relay nodes on behalf of the UE. This mediator approach allows the UE to offload the power-intensive discovery and activation tasks, achieving relay switching while significantly reducing UE power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The source relay node performs preliminary activation of neighbor relay nodes before the UE needs to switch. By pre-activating potential target relay nodes through multicast discovery signals, the system prepares the relay switching path in advance, reducing both power consumption and latency during actual switching operations.
2Reliability
If user equipment performs individual neighbor discovery and activation, then relay node switching can be achieved, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The source relay node performs preliminary activation of neighbor relay nodes using multicast discovery signals before the UE requires switching. This advance preparation eliminates the time required for individual discovery and activation during actual switching, significantly reducing latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The source relay node combines multiple discovery and activation operations into a single multicast signal transmission. By merging these operations, the system achieves relay node switching without the cumulative latency of sequential individual discoveries and activations.
3Use of energy by moving object
If beam-based multicasting is used for neighbor discovery, then power consumption and latency are reduced, but signal transmission complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The multicast discovery signal serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a wake-up signal to activate neighbor relay nodes, provides beamforming direction information, and enables the UE to identify activated neighbors. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate signaling mechanisms, offsetting the complexity with operational efficiency.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Techniques for beam-based relay node switch. An example method of wireless communication by a first wireless node generally includes relaying wireless communications between a user equipment (UE)(120, 120a-y) and a network entity; transmitting, to one or more second wireless nodes, relay request signals via a plurality of beams(402a-d, 602a-d, 604a-b, 706a-b) at relay request signal occasions(1, 2, 3), wherein each of the relay request signals indicates a request to switch relay services of the UE(120, 120a-y) from the first wireless node to the one or more second wireless nodes; and switching the relay services of the UE(120, 120a-y) to at least one of the one or more second wireless nodes.